Diplomatic efforts to halt the now month-long US.-Israel war on Iran hit a significant wall on Wednesday after Tehran publicly rejected Washington’s ceasefire framework and responded with its own set of non-negotiable demands.
President Trump had proposed a 15-point peace plan aimed at ending the US.-Israeli war against Iran. Less than 24 hours later, Tehran publicly rejected the plan, issued a counteroffer, and vowed to continue fighting in the interim.
Two officials from Pakistan described the US. proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on missiles, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is normally shipped. PBS The proposal was delivered to Tehran via Islamabad, which maintains warm ties with both governments.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that Tehran is not seeking war and wants a permanent end to the conflict, but clarified that the US. sending messages through different mediators “does not mean negotiations.”
Iran’s 5 conditions for ending the war include: a complete end to acts of “aggression,” concrete guarantees preventing a recurrence of war, full payment of war reparations, a comprehensive halt across all fronts, including resistance groups, and Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz The Hill
Iran also ruled out a temporary ceasefire, fearing the US. and Israel would use the pause to bolster their forces before resuming strikes. Trump simultaneously approved the deployment of some 2,000 additional troops part of the 82nd Airborne Division, bringing the total recent US. deployments to nearly 7,000 personnel.
The overall death toll has surpassed 2,000 across the Middle East, with more than 1,200 killed in Iran, at least 1,000 in Lebanon, and 17 in Israel.
An Iranian security official warned the country would deliver “severe blows” until its demands are met, calling Washington’s conditions “excessive and detached” from reality on the battlefield.
“Sources: NPR, NBC News, Al Jazeera, PBS NewsHour, Foreign Policy, The Hill, CNBC, The Irish Times”
